Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- game_systems:pathfinder:crown:adventure_journal [2023/03/25 13:53] – [Turning the Factions] Bryan Stephens
+++ game_systems:pathfinder:crown:adventure_journal [2024/01/11 10:43] (current) – [Machination, Coronation, and Exaltation] Bryan Stephens
@@ Line 4161: / Line 4161: @@
 The next day, all the heroes learn of the agents captured around Oppera and Taldor. Understanding that the Paid Investigators and the Public themselves are the biggest risks here, Cassia and Corwyn concentrate on them. The rest of the party spread out. Arguments against the sudden crowing of the Prince start to be made. There is general murmur of discontent. Even as they lose more agents, the tide is turned in each of the seven factions. This even includes guards willing to look the other way, details on traps and illusions, and most importantly, the ability to bribe the Arcanists guild to tune the party to be able to teleport into the Imperial Place itself.
+==== Segway into a Soul ====
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder:crown:art:mindscape.jpg?400|}}
+|Game Date|03/23/2023|
+|Campaign Dates| Erastus 4 |
+With preparations in place, that evening the group gathers with Martella and Eutropia and tells them their plan. Detash casts the powerful spell of //disern location// which penetrates the security of the Palace and locates Carrius in the private chambers behind the Throne Room. the group teleports into the area behind the Throne Room as described by Eutropia, three days before the Prince is scheduled to be crowned. They are separated from Carrius by a wall, but close enough to use the ring they took from Lotheed.
+The physical world fades away into a white mist. When the mist clears, the view has changed. Instead of a landscape of marble and plush velvet carpet, six doors lead out from this crack-riven circular chamber. In the center of the room, a human-sized rag doll sits on a wooden throne, his body and clothes stitched together from several sources and bound together with six distinct chains. Detash notes the ragdoll figure is Carrius as the boy’s conception of his own soul, though his identity is so thoroughly overwhelmed at this point the avatar cannot speak or act, only occasionally shift and sigh. The six doors in the room lead to the six mindscapes where the legendary spirits of Taldor lurk. The six doors look at follows:
+|Fire Door|This red marble door is engraved with leaping flames|
+|Sword Door|This iron door is set with a curved scimitar, its blade wet and dripping with blood.|
+|Harbor Door|This blue marble door is engraved with a three-masted ship in full sail.|
+|Whispering Door| This white marble door is engraved with a hooded figure whispering into another man’s ear.|
+|Crown Door|This steel door is set with an inverted ruby crown.|
+|Lion Door|This golden door is engraved with a rampant lion.|
+Mikhael notes that this interior area is under accelerated time with improved healing effects. Carrius seems to have the most control of himself here. For every hour the that passes spend inside Carrius’s mindscape, 1 minute passes in the real world. Healing spells and effects are always maximized in the central chamber. In addition, the time needed to recover is greatly reducedEvery hour of rest in this chamber equals about 3 hours of normal rest in the real world, therefore roughly 2-1/2 hours of rest in the central chamber counts as 8 hours of normal rest. Eight hours resting in the central chamber counts as a full day of rest, with only minutes passing in the real world.
+The group looks at the doors and compares to the known legends taken from the astral plane. They correctly deduce which door goes with which legend:
+|Fire Door|Stavian I|
+|Sword Door|Gennaris III|
+|Harbor Door|Cyricas|
+|Whispering Door|Beldam I|
+|Crown Door|Daronlyr the Overthrower.|
+|Lion Door|First Emperor Taldaris|
+=== Whispering Door of Beldam I ===
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder:crown:art:beldan.jpg?400 |}}
+They decide to approach the former Grand Princes who they think talking may be the best answer. At a vote, they start with the Whispering Door and Beldam I.
+This white marble door is covered with a shifting silver film of mist. Engraved into the marble is the image of a hooded figure, its hand covering its face as it whispers into the ear of another man. This is the domain of Beldam I, successor to Cydonus III. He manifests in a council chamber ringed with whispering, plotting nobles. A polished wooden table stands in the center of this large meeting hall. Indistinct figures line the room’s edge, just beyond a ring of marble busts, shifting and whispering indistinctly. Chairs ring the table, but only one is occupied. The man in the chair is heavy-set and pale, with thick, dark hair. He sits with his palms flat on the table, his brow furrowed with worry, as his eyes flick back and forth between six cups sitting on the table.
+As Cassia approaches and begins to speak, Beldam ponders aloud, //
+“Good wine rarely makes for good prudence, but I genuinely believed I’d found the exception. Oh bother. I’d really rather not poison his wife.”//
+When Cassia speaks, Beldam looks up with a yelp and then collects himself and addresses the group as “Servants” explaining that he decided to poison an advisor who has been plotting against him, but lost track of which cup he poisoned. To further confound him, the cups are specially designed to obscure spells like //augury, detect poison, divination//, and similar spells Beldam doesn’t want to throw the poison out, as he believes he must strike back against this conspirator or be dead by morning, and his poisonings have always protected him in the past. He admits with a sigh he feels some guilt over the men he’s killed, but ultimately justifies his grim actions as doing what is best for Taldor. He also similarly regrets having to ride the boy Prince, saying,
+//“I learned one hard, bitter lesson in my time as emperor. Sometimes sacrifice is necessary for a kingdom to thrive. Sometimes, an act of violence can keep a nation at peace.”//
+It is here he intends to remain here, guarding himself against the treachery of his supporters.
+Six cups sit before Beldam. Each cup is made of a different material and has a different design. The six cups are as follows, from left to right (facing Beldam):
+  *A golden cup with a scallop carving, decorated with brilliant rubies
+  *A silver cup with a dragon carving, decorated with many emeralds
+  *A golden cup with a hippogriff carving, decorated with pink pearls
+  *A copper cup with an eagle carving and no gems
+  *A silver cup with a unicorn carving, decorated with pink diamonds
+  *A platinum cup with a naga carving, decorated with expensive jade
+The party is able to coax clues from him and they find they have a puzzle:
+  *“The poison cup is next to either a silver cup or a platinum cup.”
+  *“If the poison cup does not have scales, then it has hooves.”
+  *“I know I did not poison the naga cup. Too obvious.”
+  *“If the poison cup has feathers, then it is exactly two cups to the right of a golden cup
+The group sets to work pondering as they stand, talking with their hidden hand language. They agree the poisoned cup is the one with the hippogriff. Corwyn, using his slight of hand, poisons the naga cup with the hippogriff saying
+//”Let’s move this one out of the way as we know it is not the one”//, and sells it with a bluff. They tell him the truly poisoned cup and the legend says //“I see you are truly on my side. There are so few whom I can trust.”//
+The mists and shadows of the room swirl, and your bodies lurch. A moment later everyone but Iona and Carrod  find themselves seated around the long, dark table dressed in fashions and jewels centuries out of date. A goblet sits before each one, and at the head of the table Beldam lifts his own, the naga cup. //“To Taldor, long may she know peace!”//. Kavian notes the hippogriff cup is before him and happily drinks. Beldam I dies as soon as he drinks. Kavian feels the full effects at first, but his lycanthrope nature erases the effects quickly. Kavian jokes about how good the drink was as the whispering shadows in the council chamber grow less sinister and more defined, eventually transforming into nervous-looking men and women. The group stands and departs the room. As soon as they reach the sanctum, the doors crumbles behind them.
+They immediately look at Carrius and see some cloth is now living flesh, and one of the 6 chains is gone. Carris cannot speak, but this is a promising sign. They move counter clockwise to the door of Daronlayr of the Overthrower after a rest to restore themselves.
+=== Crown Door of Daronlyr the Overthrower.===
+{{ :game_systems:pathfinder:crown:art:daronlyr.jpg?400|}}
+This polished steel door is inset with an inverted golden crown. A single, teardrop-shaped ruby sits embedded in the crown, like a drop of blood.
+A throne room appears beyond the door, identical to the throne room in the Imperial Palace which but much humbler in stature. The throne room is ornamented, but the mirrored walls are gone and the throne is a smaller, gold-plated chair rather than the magnificent piece it is today. Fur cloaks decorate the throne. Detash identifies the style of the throne room as that of roughly 1,000 years ago. This is the realm of Emperor Daronlyr XII, called the Overthrower.
+This mental recreation of the imperial throne room paints itself in longer shadows and deeper reds than the genuine article. Fur cloaks drape over a gilded throne in which a figure slumps, blood still pouring from a wound in his chest, forming a stream that flows through the rest of the room. A tall Taldan man stands beside him, turning to face the room as he places the crown atop his head. Bowing before him are dozens of strong Ulfen warriors.
+Cassia leads the group to approach Daronlyr. He smiles and wipes the blood from his blade.
+//“To a learned man, blades are no more threatening that a poorly wielded hickory switch. I command a thousand men, ready to die at my whim. Can your would-be emperor command that devotion? Can you?”//
+Cassia responds clearly with a strong speech about the strength of her Empress and the future of Taldor. Already, this seems to have an impact of the Ulfen guard.
+The Spirit of Daronlyr merely chuckles. He offers the Cassia a chance to sway the Ulfen Guard with a display of arms, an impassioned speech, or another method of their choice. Each of the other members of her group has one chance to win over as many guards as they can before Daronlyr orders whichever bodyguards remain loyal to kill the intruders. There are three guards for each of them.
+Corywn immediately follow up on Cassia’s speech insisting that Taldor has too long eaten itself from the top down, getting nods from the guards. Mikhael avoids anything highbrow, and instead gets guards laughing at gutter humor. Iona, herself an ethnic Ulfen, appears to Ulfen Honor. Detash makes a significant legal argument for the idea that murder of a Grand Prince cannot be the in the interest of the Throne. Kavain is not the talker, and the werewolf makes a potent threat well respected by the barbarians. The Guard turn on the usurper and slay him. The shadows and crimson tones of the throne room return to normal, the furs crumble to dust, and the stream of blood trickling from the throne soaks into the floor, leaving no trace.
+=== Harbor Door of Cyricas ===
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder:crown:art:cyricas.jpg?400 |}}
+With two down and no need to rest again, they decide the next door to be one of the most kind of the Grand Princes. Emperor Cyricas.
+This narrow, rectangular door is cut from blue variegated marble. The top of the door is very pale, almost white, darkening to deep azure blue near the floor. Engraved into the door is an image of a three-masted ship.
+Beyond the door is a humid jungle scene. The group can feel the cloying dampness of the jungle, hear the buzz of insects, and smell the dank, musty odor of rotting vegetation. A dense jungle stretches out beyond the door. Trees loom overhead, draped with brilliant green, while stifling humidity and buzzing insects fill the air. The cries of tropical birds echo in the distance. The drone of insects forms a constant backdrop, and bright-colored flowers peek through the foliage. A deep, voice seems to come from everywhere.
+//“So... you come to hunt the hunter, eh? Damn good time! Find me, then, and I shall grant you the kindness of a swift death.”//
+Seeing a chase is on, Kavian goes to hybrid form and immediately starts to track Cyricas through the jungle track. He is able to find the legend and Cyricas says //“Ah! Worthy opponents,”// and steps clear of the foliage while ordering his “animal companion” Mordal, a spiritreflection of his ape companion in life, to attack. Kavain moves to fight the giant ape, already in wolf form cuts into the creature.
+In a quick brawl, the outgoing Cyricas delights in a brawler to brawler fight. His blows land on Kavian causing him to reel. Iona engages with her hammer and therefore Cassia decides to heal Kavian as best she can. It becomes a close run thing, but the group manages to surround and kill the giant ape and Cyricas before he can knock out Kavian. The two turn into moats of light and flee across the jungle which ends at the edge of a vast, stinking swamp. The night sky is hidden by clouds of marsh gas, which glow with a faint green luminescence. The ground is sticky and murky, with hillocks protruding drunkenly from the muck The group breaks out the flying carpets to chase after their foe. Cyricas’s mote of light continues to fly through thick, primeval forest, which eventually opens up into the throne room of Taldor’s Imperial Palace. Cyricas stands before the dais, crestfallen. After a moment, he turns to face the PCs, and in a heavy tone says //“I miss it dearly, you know—travel, adventure, the comforts of home. Life. And it’s simply not in my nature to give up on the things I want.”// He turns back to look longingly at the throne once again. However, Corwyn, Mikhael, and Detash give impassioned reasons it is time for him to leave. Ultimately remembered as a kind man, Cyricas is coaxed to leave rather than fight as he pauses to reflect. He sighs and admits //“Perhaps... perhaps it’s not about what I want.”//. When Cyricas’s legend departs, the throne room shifts and twists into a child’s bedroom filled with books, flowers, and medical supplies in a room Cyricas left long ago. Three of the six legends have been driven from the resurrected prince.
+=== Fire Door of Stavian I ===
+{{ :game_systems:pathfinder:crown:art:stavian_i.jpg?400|}}
+After a time to recover, the group decides to next tackle Stavian I. This red marble door glows from within and is warm to the touch. On its surface is engraved a vista of leaping flames. Tormented faces hidden within the flames stare out from the door with despairing eyes. This is the realm of Stavian I, first of his line and the emperor who declared a religious pogrom against the church of Sarenrae. The red glow of leaping flames and drifting embers illuminates the endless expanse of collapsing and ruined buildings. Iron cages hang from buildings and posts, each one holding a burning, writhing skeleton that clutches the bars with blackened finger bones and works its jaw in silent agony. Now and then, a thin scream—more like the hiss of a kettle than a human sound—pierces above the crackle of flames. Much to Detash’s chagrin, the skeletons are a part of the dreamscape, not true creatures and he can accomplish nothing by interacting with the skeletons or opening the cages.
+Stavian I’s legend appears as a handsome Taldan man, larger than life and sculpted from living flame. In a reasonable, resonant voice, he says,
+//“All I have done, I did to protect Taldor. Can you not see how weak our nation was? The Cult of the Dawnflower would have broken us in two, with Qadira waiting to strike once we were brought low. What’s this? More heretics. You shall serve as an example to others.”//
+Though the legend serves a dead god, inside this mindscape his faith alone is enough to empower Stavian’s spells and other divine abilities, as well as conjure the angels that join him. The legend attacks!
+Stavian is both an inquisitor of Aroden and a fire elemental. He opens with a //greater command// spell and Detash and Mikhael find they are unable to do anything but flee for round before returning. In the ensuing melee, Kavain bears the brunt of the attacks. The monster is immune to Corwyn’s precision damage the elemental cannot be flanked. While Kavain does significant damage to him, he is severely hurt by the attacks of Stavian. First Cassia heals him then uses a sonic attack. Kavain is again hurt, and Iona steps up to use //heal//. As the legend is hurt, he calls out to the dead god to summon two Astral Devas who heal him. Mikhael banishes one before it can do more. Now, between Corwyn, Kavian and Lythashthir beat the legend down. As Stavian falls, the other Deva is released. A  peal of thunder rolls across the sky, and heavy rains begin to fall across the ruins, extinguishing the flames and scrubbing the smoke from the air. The group leaves after this hard fight and move to recover yet again.
+Back in the central Chamber, two doors remain. Cassia grimly says that Gennaris is next, leaving Taldaris for last.
+Carrius stirs and speaks, acknowledging his friends. He is clearly weak, but more flesh than cloth now, with only two chains holding him.
+=== Sword Door of Gennaris III ===
+This iron door is dull and marked with countless slices and nicks. A curved scimitar embedded in the door drips a constant stream of red blood. Beyond the door stretches an enormous outdoor battlefield reaching across a rocky plain, heaped with the bodies of the dying. Cassia identifies the battlefield as the Plains of Paresh in western Qadira.
+Screams and cries of pain echo across this miserable battlefield. Buzzing flies and the stench of rotting flesh choke the air. Bodies lie piled in heaps on the blood-soaked ground, some of them still reaching out to beg for care or a swift death. Hands twitch and eyes blink in the charnel piles. Against the sky, an armored figure stands tall among the dead, surrounded by six gore-covered scimitars driven into the soil. This is the territory of Emperor Gennaris III, the Conqueror, remembered as one of Taldor’s greatest military leaders.
+{{ :game_systems:pathfinder:crown:npcs:gennaris.png?500|}}
+Gennaris’s legend manifests as a spirit of slaughter. His is the unwavering belief that war is necessary to protect a nation’s freedom. The deaths of his enemies weigh heavily on him, but Gennaris is still convinced that military might is the only key to Taldor’s survival as a nation. He sees the group as a threat to Taldor’s security and when he sees the them arrive, he points and declares
+//“Taldor is a nation that stands or falls by the strength of her blade. Such was true for Taldaris, and your hands are far from clean. But death’s greatest failing is that it can stop but a single soldier. Never an army.”//
+As he speaks, the bodies of the dead and dying writhe toward him, gathering together into a misshapen, serpentine form that merges with Gennaris. Gennaris was famous for killing six Qadiran generals in single combat. He kept each one’s sword as a trophy of his prowess. Those six swords, far larger in the people’s memory than in life, now roam the battlefield on their own.
+Cassia tries diplomacy, but the spirit of the emperor attacks. Corwyn opens with an //acid arrow// but misses. Kavian is struck on the way to attack but he pushed through with a snarl. However, his attack is totally deflected by one of the giant swords. The same happens as Mikhael fires his crossbow. Carrod strikes a sword directly with //disintegrate// greatly damaging the floating construct. Now Kavian is attacked and hit four times by the monstrous Grand Prince. He staggers under the blows. Iona uses //holy smite// to attack the evil undead spirit as Cassia tries //good hope// to support the party.
+Taking out the big guns, Detash launches a //maximized fireball// against Gennaris and all but the sword next to Kavian. While none are destroyed, they are hurt. Still, Corwyn tries a sneak attack and is stopped by the swords. With Carrod asking if now is the time for big guns, Mikhael shouts “yes” and she unleashes a //chain lightening// to strike both their opponent and the swords protecting him, while Lysanthir goes for a sword. Now they are starting to fall, even as he slams Kavian once again. The lycanthrope brawler is gravely injured. Cassia braves an attack, almost buckling to heal Kavian as the cleric stands off and tries the //implosion spell//. As Cassia heals Kavian, one of the remaining swords absorbs the full might of the powerful spell. The remaining sword defending Gennaris is shoved away by Detahs with a //clenched fist// leaving room for Corwyn to kill the monster with a well placed attack.
+With Gennaris’s legend is slain, the writhing bodies lie still and sink into the earth. After a few moments, fresh growth sprouts across the field, whipped gently by a rolling wind.
+=== Lion Door of Taldaris the first Emperor ===
+The group again fully recovers, in what now has been days for them. The spend the rest time preparing their thoughts for the final confrontation. Their goal is to talk the spirit of Taldaris down and try not to fight what they are sure is their most formidable foe.
+This arched door seems worked from solid gold. In the center of the door, the image of a lion rears on its hind legs, its mouth open in a silent roar. Beyond this door stands an idealized vision of Taldor from the ancient past, as it exists in most citizens’ minds:
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder:crown:npcs:taldaris.jpg?400 |}}
+Golden fields of wheat, rippled by the wind into ocean-like waves, extend as far as the eye can see, until they meet majestic mountains at the horizon. Bone-white ruins jut haphazardly from the landscape. A heroic figure stands atop a broken column, stark against the endless sunset.
+The final door is the mindscape of Taldaris’s legend. While the group has met the original Taldaris—a far older, wiser, and more humble man than ever ruled Taldor—the figure here is Taldaris as his empire remembers him: cunning, fearless, strong, and above all dedicated to Taldor’s dominion over the world. As the PCs approach, he broods aloud:
+//“In a single lifetime, I forged squabbling children into an empire of men. And this is what you’ve done with my legacy. Entitled, foppish, soft little children once again, squabbling and sniping. Taldor needs me now even more than she did before her birth. And I intend to remain, no matter the cost.”//
+As he finishes speaking, an elephant-sized lion stalks from behind the ruins, its six eyes and golden mane glowing in the sunlight—the legendary Grogrisant/
+Kavain steps forward as another fighter and appeals to the Honor of Taldaris.
+Cassia makes an appeal to the history of Taldor and that Taldaris is in its past, noting that the Princess and Prince are of his blood.
+Corwyn backs up his love, comparing Taldaris to a father, and parents must let their children grow.
+Iona speaks strongly of Justice and notes to come back now, Taldaris would rob his own descendant of Glory.
+Mikhael flies forth with the [[game_systems:pathfinder:crown:Relics_Taldor:Standard_Conquest|Standard of Conquest]] flying with an awesome display, and argues that his time has past and Taldor must stand on its own.
+Detash closes with a argument of time and history, surprising his friends with the strength that nothing as unnatural as this union of Taldaris and a mere boy should rule Taldor.
+In the face of this, Taldaris finally yields and orders the Grogrisant to stand away.
+//“Your words ring true to my ears. Taldor was a dream I strove toward, but perhaps that means I am still asleep. The world I knew is the one that needed me, and the world you hold now is one with very different needs. May the gods speed you on your way.”//
+After a few moments, as he fades away, he adds //“The boy cannot survive without us to bolster him. Half a life is no life at all.”//
+When Taldaris is defeated, the remaining ruins crumble. Fresh, new buildings constructed in the modern Taldan style spring from the ground until the wild landscape is a flourishing town.
+=== A Prince Restored ===
+Back in the central area, all chains are off the Prince, and he is wholly flesh. The boy looks at you with clear eyes. While his frame is fragile and his face lined with fatigue, Carrius’s expression is peaceful. //“They are gone,”// he says. //“The only one inside is me now. I remember everything—my death, my passage on, and how the circle drew me back here. Thank you. All I ever wanted was the peace that was robbed from me.”//
+Obvious pain crosses his face. //“You are free to leave now. Return to my sister. Tell her... tell her I’m sorry I have to go, and that I know she can be... the ruler Taldor needs. But I can’t be there for her. What’s left of me... it’s not enough. My soul isn’t whole—that’s why the circle invited the spirits in. To control me, but also to heal me. Now it’s time for me to return. It was nice to visit. I’m so sorry for the trouble I’ve caused.”//
+Detash strides forward and places the [[game_systems:pathfinder:crown:items:Pre-Incarnate_Phial|Pre-Incarnate Phial]] into the hands of Carrius’ soul image. The light of the Phial springs forth, and the bright image of a body appears and merges with Carrius. The boy stands, looking stronger and more whole. The light spills form his heart and head and overwhelms the mindscape. The group finds themselves in the private quarters behind the Throne Room.
+The startled Ulfen Guards move forward. Carrius thanks them in person and weakly calls off the guards and asks his sister be brought to him before he slumps into a deep sleep. The party immediately takes charge, ordering the Ulfen to escort them to his room, with Iona taking charge of the Prince. The guards are unsure of what to make of the situation, but the force of the wills of Cassia and Corwyn make sure things progress. Mikhael and Detash retrieve the Pricness and Martella Lotheed.
+The exhaustion of his ordeal leaves Carrius unconscious for several hours, providing ample time to report to return with Martella Lotheed and Princess Eutropia. By the time Carrius awakens, Eutropia has made arrangements with the palace sentries and Ulfen Guard to stand down.
+===== 22 Machination, Coronation, and Exaltation =====
+|Game Date|03/30/2023|
+==== Machination ====
+After the rescue of Carrius, Eutropia can be revealed to be alive. Rumors are already circulating thanks to the actions the heroes took to undermine the Prince. Carrius makes an announcement that a plan to assassinate Eutropia was foiled by Taldor’s government and the brave work of the Princess’s heroic allies: The announcement of Eutropia’s death and Carrius’s coronation was an unfortunate but necessary ruse to convince the assassins to think they had succeeded, allowing the heroes time to work.
+In a very public display, surrounded by the group, now her most dangerous protectors, Carrius places the //Mantel of Kings// upon the shoulders of his sister, Eutropia, and it alights with a golden glow for all to see. Taldaris himself approves of her right to rule. The general public is won over, entranced by storybook nature of the tale (sanitized for consumption, of course). There remains a strong resistance to her leadership from some of the established noble families in Taldor. Over the next month, the party works with various groups to move her claim to the throne forward.
+Cassia and Corwyn engage noble families throughout Taldor. At parties and gatherings using a combination of logic, appeal to patriotism, bribes, and sometimes, outright threats, they sway many Senators. Cassia in particular uses her old friends in the Lion Blades to uncover secrets that might help sway difficult opponents. For his part, Corwyn begins looking for clues to the location of the Brotherhood of Silence.
+In the Avin Prefecture, home of Yanmass, Mikhael uses the goodwill in the capital city to rally support. It is unfortunate that the affair of Grand Duke Broyse Rengiana and General Relyson Gwein of the Taldan Horse was brought to light during the time of troubles, weaking his opposition to Eutropia. Mikhael uses his common touch to organize the citizens, placing subtle pressures on the nobility.
+With the death of Maxillar Pythareus and the revelations of his treason, much of the military leadership has been in turmoil. Diehard loyalists have been sidelined. Many high-ranking officers are men who served under General Protius Silanius as young men. They are keen to listen to the heroic son of the great man, murdered by the former High Strategos. Kavian’s support for a secure military is more than able to bring the new military leaders to the side of the Princess, while Sepsemia works on their wives. He is more than able to position himself as a good civilian and military leader.
+Dida’s relationship with key noble merchants allows Detash to pull strings behind the curtain. Those nobles not wanting support the Princess suddenly see supply issues affecting them personally. This helps Cassia and Corwyn in their work, even as they keep their hands clean. Detash also meets with Duchess [[game_systems:pathfinder:crown:npcs:Veleto_Lotheed|Veleto Lotheed]] to discuss his plans, letting her know the //Soul Crucible// may hold answers to making her more whole.
+Iona has the hardest road to hoe; Iomedae is not a popular deity in Taldor. However, her force of personality and drive is hard to ignore. The passion for the Inheritor reminds many of the power of the dead god Aroden. With the death of Father Basri, the last Archbishop of Aroden, Iona finds an audience willing to, finally, turn to the former herald and champion. She is able to turn many to look to the future and support the Princess on moral grounds.
+==== Coronation ====
+The work of the group pays off. On Friday the 6th of Arodus, Eutropia is crowned Grand Princess Eutropia I, first empress of Taldor, in the halls of the Imperial Palace. This draws leaders from around the Inner Sea to see this rare event, kicking off the week-long festivities leading up to the Day of Exaltation coming on the 13th, a few days early.
+At her coronation, Eutropia gives a brief message of hope and thanks. The heroes of the hour are, of course, in attendance, and the Grand Princess formally knights each of them, as she did a year ago before they left for Meratt county. She jokes that //”This time, there are witnesses!”//. The saviors of the empire are now the senior members of an ancient and currently unused order, The Order of the Mantel. This is one week before the 13th of Aroden and the Exaltation Gala.
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder:crown:npcs:eutopia.png?350 |}}
+Unlike last year, this year the group is fully engaged in the week of celebrations and schemes leading up to the Gala. It is more and more clear the level of fame they all now possess. People who would never have given any of any of them the time of day, now not just listen to the heroes, but seek them out. While Cassia and Corwyn are used to interaction with nobles, it unsettling to the rest. Corwyn uses this time to investigate buying up his family’s debts, while Cassia spends time with the high families of the Zespires, the Vinmarks, and of course, her own Kathis.
+Mikhael, is unaccustomed to such high-ranking people treating him with such respect, and he finds himself slipping away to talk with servants. He spends time with his family, including brining them fully up to date on his sister’s whereabouts.
+Iona finds more interest in a week in Iomadae than she has seen in a year, and she finds she is for once, not fighting, but building up a the church,
+Didia spends time guiding Detash to meet all the wonderful men of her acquaintance, especially Baronet Cicato. Sepsemia performs a similar function for Kavian, but he holds his own, fielding many questions on his thoughts about the defense of Taldor and the future of the military. He also spends his time engaged in as many parties and contacts with the others as he can manage.
+This is a time of rumors and revelations. Several noble positions are vacant with no one of worth able to enter into them. The Grand Duke positions for Kazuhn and Avin stand empty. Grand Duchess Mella Denzarni of Kazuhn died in the civil wars along with most of her family. Grand Duke Broyse Rengiana was caught out in a long-term affair with Taldan Horse General Relyson Gwein, while his wife of an arranged marriage, Zymalla Rengiana had her own affairs. With patrimony of the Duke’s and the General’s children totally unknown, he has stepped down and Grand Duke. In Sophra, the obsequious Grand Duke Urjinus Vobellar, who deferred in all things to Maxillar Pythareus, has decided being Grand Duke under the Empress he stood against i s not for him, and has also decided to step down. This leaves three Prefectures without Grand Dukes.
+==== Exaltation ====
+As usual, visitors flock to Oppara in the days leading up to the Grand Day of Exaltation. The populace of the city doubles during this time, making Oppara larger than any other city in the Inner Sea region, save Absalom. The self-importance of the already prideful Taldan people swells in equal measure. Street vendors sell traditional Taldan foods—anchovy skewers, anglebobs, canal crossings, clamguards, jubilee pie, honeyflake, long wine, yonder tarts, and more—including regional delicacies from separated provinces such as Andoran mince and Chelish raven cake. A new wine imported from the River Kingdoms is highly popular, though limited, so it is more talked about than tasted, adding to its mystique.
+Family banners and provincial flags drape the sides of most buildings, with merchants hawking heraldry ranging from replica banners of the old Armies of Exploration to wooden swords and handheld Taldan flags for children. Taverns offer themed drink and food, with varying bars adopting well-known nobles from the long history of the empire as their mascot or self-declared patron. In the market, there are dolls of heroes of old and their enemies. They group is amused to find versions not only of the Grand Princess, but of each of them, including some of the enemies they have fought.
+{{ :game_systems:pathfinder:crown:art:taldor-npc-1-730x522.jpg?400|}}
+This year there is a large foreign continent of visitors from around the Inner Sea who have stayed the week since the coronation. There is a growing notion that Taldor is about to change, and the world waits with baited breath. This is especially true for lands bordering Taldor, or former areas controlled by it, such as Andoran’s Supreme Elect Andira Marusek, a delegate from House Thrune in Cheliax, Erik Thrune, and Senator Laux Devaux from Galt. There are even some leaders from a couple of the River Kingdoms.
+On the day of the Gala, the group again finds themselves in a line to enter the Senate. Joined by Tremerus and Elsa, this year it is a fast line. It seems amazing that only a year has past since they were together in a similar line, awkwardly looking at one another, thinking they were here for a simple night’s work and 150 gold each. None of them could suspect what was about to come.
+Their reminiscing is over fast as they are quickly through the line, ushed by Martella Lotheed directly, into the Gala itself. As they discovered in the past week, they are celebrities. There are meetings and gatherings, entertainments and sub parties with people eager for each of their presences.
+Mid-evening, a silence falls over the gala, and the crowd parts as servants unroll a red carpet through the Arcade of Triumphs and the senate floor. Grand Princess Eutropia I and a host of his Ulfen Guard then arrive, ascending the 100 steps to the building. Guests quickly flock to catch a glimpse of Taldor’s newest leader. Eutropia takes her time attending to all the well-wishers and her travel forward is quite slow. It is over an hour before it is time for a light dinner.
+After Dinner, there is a short ceremony, where a memorial commemorating all who died in the Exaltation Massacre is unveiled. The mood is somber as the names of the dead are read aloud by two heralds. The Arch Enumerator of the Church of Abadar performs a moving dedication to the fallen.
+After the dedication, the Speaker summons the Senate into session and asks visitors to be quiet. There is far less this items this year than last for the Senate to vote upon, given its lessened size. Most importantly, the Senate confirms the ascension of the Grand Princess in a vote with none against, but several abstentions. In addition to some budget bills to rebuild Taldor, its final act is to approve the Grand Princesses’ slate of Senators, and her assignments of nobility, though no names are read at the time. Elsa notes, according to her father, only a few key Senators even know who they are voting on, and they have all submitted to a //geas// to remain silence about it until after tonight.
+=== Exaltation ===
+With that work complete it is time for the Exhalation itself. This year promises to be different from any other year, with several people to be exalted, and none known ahead of time. The ranks of nobility of Taldor have been devastated in the civil war; part of moving forward will be to fill those ranks.
+Hundreds of dignitaries, senators, and visitors cram onto the senate floor. A dozen members of the Ulfen Guard, stand arrayed around a podium atop the central, circular stage of the chamber. A mix of senatorial staffers and Ulfen Guard assign people to positions within the chamber based on rank and influence. This year, however, the 8 of heroes are invited to stand with the Princess, along with Sepsemia and Carrod. The Princess Speaks:
+//“Friends, Taldens, Countrymen, lend me your ears. Today we celebrate the best that Taldor has to offer. With the approval of the Senate, I will shortly ennoble several citizens who have served key roles in saving our empire. A year ago, these hallowed halls were subject to unspeakable violence brought on by the madness of my father. The horror of that cannot ever be fully expunged from the souls it touched, and nor should it be. It should be remembered as an example of how terribly wrong we can be when we sink into paranoia and infighting over the remains of the past. Today we shall look forward to a greater future.”//
+There is thunderous applause at this line which takes some time to die down.
+//”We will look outward, not for conquest, but for expanding foreign trade. We will attract the best and brightest scholars, artist and workers to our shores to help rebuild our infrastructure. We will share our own knowledge and scholars with other nations in turn. We will work to end short term profit seeking that destroys the future, and instead shall invest in tomorrow while not neglecting today. The Senate must be rebuilt with a voice for all of the regions of Taldor. and, the common people, the true foundation of Taldor, must be equipped for that future. They too, must have a voice, because the events of the last year have shown me that we must include the greatest strength of Taldor, its people, in the guiding of the future”//
+There is applause throughout the speech, but less for the final line. She lets it die down and then continues.
+//”Now, let us all celebrate the Exaltation of heroes who have brought us through the past year!”//
+//”Baronet Caphridius Vort, for your unyielding service to the people of Jambis, when their Baron abandoned them, I now elevate you to Baron of Jambis.”//
+//”Felsha of Jambis, who has long alongside Baron Vort, I now elevate you to Baronet in his service.”//
+//”Tremerus Mancinus, you have served both as my agent and supported the transformation of Meratt County. Today that service becomes official, and I elevate you to Baronet to Baron and Senator Nicolaus Okerra. “//
+//”Elsa Vinmark, you were born Elsa Vike and taken from your home to be sold as a slave. Your adoptive family has supported me, with speeches, material, and swords, but none have done the work for me that you have as one of my agents. I elevate you to Baronet to support your adoptive father, Baron and Senator Finner Vinmark, the new Baron of Oppera. And because all the people of Taldor need a voice, even slaves, I appoint you to the Senate. May you be that voice.”//
+//”Dame Carrod Hellbore, your service to me was unexpected, and yet, you rose to the challenge presented, in the best of Talden fashion. It is clear that Taldor had not sufficiently challenged you before. We elevate your to a Baronet to support the work in Yanmass and Avin Prefecture.//
+“//Sepsemia Silanus, your family has long lived in Meratt County and in recent years, under the oppression of the former Count. Since his vacancy, your work to rebuild Meratt has been nothing short of amazing. My agents could not have accomplished their goals without your help. That County is still without a leader. I elevate you, therefore, to Countess of Meratt. And, since that remote region needs a voice, I am appointing you as Senator as well. //”
+//”Iona des Vaux, you have served as a trusted agent in my cause, even as you have stayed true to following your goddess. Your example is an inspiration to us all. You are made Countess of Anganas, within the Kazuhn Prefecture. Further, as we look to the future, we must admit that the promises of the now dead Aroden are in the past. It is time we acknowledge the //Inheritor//. I appoint you as Archbishop of Iomedae, replacing Father Basri whom we lost in the past year. You will take over Basilica of the Last Man and restore it to a place of worship as well as commemoration to Aroden. You will sit as my Minister of Religious Affairs.” //.
+//”Detash Rood, you come to Taldor from another nation, bringing new insights. First you stopped a cult and then you became a daring agent, leaving your job behind. I elevate you to Duke of Hayden. That region was abandoned as part of evil schemes and it will take decades of careful work to repair, but those are decades you will have. My father did not fill the position of Minister of Arcane Affairs because of his own talents. Magic is not among my talents and therefore I appoint you Minister of Arcane Affairs as well. Powerful magic was arrayed against the empire, help me assure that does not repeat in my reign.”//
+//”Corywn Nethair, you have shown true leadership with my agents without always leading from the front. The new Grand Duchess of Kazuhn will need your support. That great prefecture has been mismanaged for generations. I appoint you as a Duke of Carthinia, which holds Kazuhn City. Half of that once great city sits empty. I look forward to your innovations. “//
+//”Mikhael Constantinus, I wager this was never in your wildest dreams. Your service to Taldor has been a great gift to its citizens and the peace of Avistan. Because Grand Duke Broyse Rengiana has stepped down, I find I must appoint a new Grand Duke of the Avin Prefecture. You know from your time in Yanmass many of the challenges of that Prefecture. I am making you Grand Duke. Duke Rengiana will assist you, but it is you who has the power… and the responsibility.”//
+//”Cassia Karthis, of the great house of Karthis. You showed great leadership with my agents, guiding them through many difficult moral choices. I shall work to profit from your example. I elevate you to serve as the new Grand Duchess Kazuhn. I charge you to help restore that Prefecture to greatness. And I would be remiss to not notice your great talents. I appoint you Senator where I know your voice will speak for not just Kazuhn, but all the people of Taldor.”//
+//”Kavian Silanus, your family suffered much from the machinations of Maxillar Pythareus. We now know he had your father murdered because he discovered Pythareus’ treason. I am pleased, that while acting as my agent, you were able to clear your name. The Prefecture of Sophra holds the County of Silanus, once the domain of your family, but now passed to others. I will not return those lands to you. It would not be fair to the current Count, who was one of my few supporters in Sophra. Instead, Count Aurelius Procillus will answer to you as Grand Duke of Sophra. Furthermore, on the advice of my generals, I appoint you High Strategos of Taldor.”//
+//”People of Taldor, let us move forward into the future! Let us work together to rebuild Taldor, not as it was, but as it can be.”//
+{{:game_systems:pathfinder:crown:art:dancing.jpg?400 |}}
+With that she lets the crowd applause as she waves. After that she turns to you and thanks and congratulates you each in turn. Those of you not made a Senator or a Minster, she invites to be part of her Privy Council, which by tradition cannot be a Senator or member of the Cabinet.
+Eutropia then retires to the Emperor’s Hall, which is closed for the remainder of the night. The program over (this time without **any** wanton murder), and the Gala adjourns to ballroom dancing and grand celebrations deep into the morning, with some people departing as the sky starts to brighten.
+Kavain and Sepsemia retire early, ready to be with each other instead of working. Cassia and Corwyn dance the night away, often watched and admired, but they have eyes only for each other. They dance and delight oblivious to the world around them. Mikhael and Carrod find a secluded spot and engage in more intimacy than is normally fashionable at the Gala, but not enough to cause a scandal. Detash ends up leaving with three comely young women. Iona, the odd woman out decides that perhaps, it is time to seek a husband, and dances much of the night in search of the right man. With her judge of character, she will have an easier time of it than some.
+===== The Future =====
+Weeks pass and as the Senate is filled with new members, it becomes clear that Cassia will be leading the newly created Reform Party. There are other factions in the 222 member body, but Reform is the largest with over 70 members, including, of course, Elsa and Sepsemia.
+The Heroes start to settle into their new roles. There is much to do for the future of Taldor. They are all in support of Eutropia and her reign. Thanks to their actions, they have given Eutropia a template of balance.
+Eutropia’s legacy is remarkable for its nuanced balance. Her rule is marked by taking a firm hand against threats and rivals, treating allies and the poor with great respect, and using the benefits of both to invest in infrastructure. Eutropia the Measured is a cunning diplomat, expanding foreign trade and attracting foreign scholars, artists, and workers to Taldor’s shore to enrich its culture, while sending Taldan envoys to the other nations of Avistan, Casmaron, and Garund to spread her country’s knowledge and art. To help the nation see to its own needs more efficiently, she delegates the power to appoint Senators to regional nobility, allowing barons and landgraves to appoint representatives in the Senate. While her reign lacks a marked boom in economy, education, or conquest, it is a long and welcome period of gradual improvements in most areas of Taldan life.
+What is next for the heroes? Is it a life of peace and happily ever after? There are still dangers in the world. The Brotherhood of Silence has been defeated. Its patron god [[https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Norgorber|Norgorber]] stands humiliated. And what of the rest of the Immaculate Circle and Lotheed’s vial “pet” sahkil, Thassritoum? For now, however, there is much to do that is not running around the empire or other planes. It is time for marriage, for hearth, for home.
+The End for Now.
+====== Bryan’s Note ======
+//This is only the third campaign I have run where I ran it from beginning to end as intended. The others were **Counter Strike Legacy** and **Kith Dalton**, neither of which has this sort of sophisticated diary. Indeed, this diary has changed the way I do all of them, with the addition of various art and such. //
+//I am so pleased to have been able to run this game for my group. Thank you to my players, Andy “Tremerus”, Tracy “Elsa”, Doug “Detash”, Curt “Kavian”, Matthew “Iona”, Matt, “Mikhael”, Eric “Corwyn”, and my lovely wife Linda “Cassia”. We made this game together gang, and I will always treasure the moments we shared through it. //
+//-Bryan “Seenar” //

Seenar.com

User Tools

Site Tools

Differences

Page Tools